Amazon calculates a product’s star ratings based on a machine learned model instead of a raw data average. The model takes into account factors including the age of a rating, whether the ratings are from verified purchasers, and factors that establish reviewer trustworthiness.

Top positive review

I used to be really onboard with Anker when they were a small startup company, used to meet with their founders at trade shows and give them a lot of free tips and advice, some of which they used and some of which they ignored. These days I’ve been less than thrilled with a lot of stuff they’ve slapping their name on and seeing time after time when other companies are outdoing them in terms of quality and design. In fact the last thing I’ve bought from them has been several years ago and they’ve dropped me from their mailing list.

When I saw this headphone I turned up my nose. As an ex-radio person, producer and recording engineer I know headphones like the back of my hand, my knowledge of them is at the expert level. I own literally a closet shelf full of them at prices ranging into the thousands. The last thing I want or need is another pair. But I was drawn in by the apparent light weight of these and the fact that they use Bluetooth 5.0 for hopefully fewer dropouts and a less compressed sound. Some of the other claims seemed to be more marketing fluff than reality especially at the price.

LIGHT WEIGHT OR LIGHTWEIGHTS

Let’s face it; a good pair of headphones can get very heavy and tiresome to wear. At only 10 ounces (as measured by me) these promise to be more comfortable but that usually comes at the expense of being made of cheap plastic that falls apart after a few months.

REAL BASS OR A NICE EFFECT

Headphones are governed by the laws of science, the larger the transducer and the more powerful the driver the better it can reproduce ultra low frequencies. Anker touts a spinoff of what Bose and other companies have done for years, to fool the ears into thinking they are hearing certain frequencies for what I call the wow effect. And that’s what it is, for a few minutes you are blown away by the most awesome sound you’ve ever heard. Then it all starts to tire your ears and your brain and you find you are not really listening to music but rather a sound effect. I subjected these to the same standard test that I have used since the days I worked with Henry Kloss and the folks at Shure. My testing isn’t all that scientific, it’s just based on real life reproduction of sound and user listenability.

CONDITIONS OF COMPARISON

Evaluating headphones is not an easy task. There will be the inevitable reviews that go overboard gushing about how spectacular these are because they were given a sample to try. And at the opposite end those who set the bar too high by comparing them to audiophile models costing many times more. What we have here are neither, at under forty bucks they are an all plastic mass produced product that rises only slightly above the toy level. So let’s be fair and realistic, I’m going to stick to telling you what you get for forty bucks and steer far away from idealizing them or complaining that they aren’t as good as my studio reference quality cans.

PLASTIC

I have nothing against plastic and let’s face it, even Ferraris are made with a lot of plastic these days. Some of the best headphones available are made with manmade synthetic materials. Unfortunately these are made from a relatively low grade of plastic that adversely affects the sound quality. In a way its like how certain plastics affect the taste of food and beverages. To use the comparison again it’s what I would call a toylike quality. On the plus side the hinges are made of metal.

CONTROLS

For the most part Anker has done a good job designing the control panel on these phones. Everything is grouped at the bottom of the right earpiece and the buttons have a tactile touch to them plus the practice of having buttons perform multiple functions is kept to an absolute minimum. There is a power switch that also sets up the Bluetooth pairing. It also controls the use of these phones as a smartphone headset but I won’t talk about that usage, I think there are far better smartphone headsets to consider than this thing. The next button is a volume rocker that’s reasonably easy to operate and finally the bass boost button. Nearby are a USB-C charging port and a standard stereo mini audio port for wired operation. Next to those is a small LED status light.

The choice of a USB-C port is neither a major plus or a minus but its potential is minimized by the fact that they don’t include a power supply charger. They do include a short stereo audio cable and for the first time ever it prompts me to describe an item as vapid. The cable is flimsy, too short and doesn’t attach very securely. When you plug it in it disables all onboard electronics so the headphone drivers are being powered solely by your device’s amplifier, hence the maximum volume level is relatively weak. By disabling the electronics you lose one of the headphone’s major selling points, the bass boost system. You will also have to resort to only using the volume controls on your smartphone or other device.

BEST AND WORST

Most products have at least one feature to love but on the downside one you wish they had put more thought into. With this product the kudos go to printing the Left and Right designations boldly inside each earcup. So many others these days have a tiny molded in designator or even none at all. It’s so nice to be able to pick them up, even in near darkness, and know which ear is which. The negative side of the coin is the loud and somewhat grating voice that comes through the earpieces when you turn the bass boost on and off (it’s also there for a few other functions as well). The voice is so annoying that having it is almost a complete dealbreaker for me. Not counted against them but worth noting is that the instruction sheet defies any form of comprehension. Come on Anker, you’re a big company now, you can afford to have someone create a better user experience with your instruction manuals.

BASS BOOST AND OVERALL SOUND QUALITY

Here’s a reality check, these are pretty ordinary forty buck headphones. Their major marketing highlight is that bass boost button they call BassUp. I’m going to combine talking about that with my overall opinion of the sound quality of these phones because the two things are intertwined. Here are a few things you should know:

1. Unlike other attempts to wow the user with extended bass these don’t just attenuate the low frequencies but rather they work in real time at selective frequencies to kick up some of them without making everything sound deeper.

2. Yes it does make a difference, but not one that changes the timbre of everything you hear. You might actually go a few seconds or even minutes before you suddenly hear certain frequencies being boosted.

3. Like so many schemes to tweak our listening experience this one gets tiring over time and once the wow factor sizzle has settled down many people may find the effect overbearing.

4. Because of fairly large diaphragms and I assume larger drivers these headphones deliver better than average bass all by themselves without the artificial boost.

5. Unfortunately that plasticky sound I mentioned seems to be worse with the bass booster turned on.

COMFORT

Whether because of or in spite of being all plastic these are some of the most comfortable headphones I’ve worn in a while. The cups fit well and totally encapsulate both ears but there is no excessive pressure. Outside sounds are effectively blocked out and the sweet spot is positioned right over the ear canal. The headband is soft and adjustable and there’s nothing to pinch or tangle with your hair. They fold and look like they can survive travel, but unfortunately no case or travel bag is included.

BLUETOOTH COMPRESSION AND CUTOUT

Using Bluetooth 5.0 technology these are an improvement over older technologies. They don’t sound as compressed but don’t expect that they will have the expansive sound stage of a good pair of wired cans, it’s simply not possible yet if you have your heart set on Bluetooth. They are listenable but if you are really into your music you will get frustrated by the occasional cutouts. That rules out stage and studio monitoring applications.

YES OR NO

If your headphone budget limits you to under fifty bucks I can’t think of too many better choices as long as you realize that you will get what you pay for. While Anker has outgrown their early days of legendary customer service I can still recommend that, given the choice when buying low end Chinese products it’s still better to go with a known established brand with a U.S. presence. These aren’t great headphones but neither are they priced like them. I would be wary of any gushing recommendations, everybody hears things differently and it’s hard to separate honest reviews from those with special interests. The only way you will know for sure is to try them on your own ears. Keep them if they sound good to you and if not move on to something else.

[NOTE] For some unexplained reason at the time I got these Anker says that they not currently compatible with the iPhone 11 series, but they advise this model is being upgraded at some point.

Top critical review

Looking at the stars I gave it. Noise cancellation, it doesn't have that feature. But I guess it muffles outside sound a tiny bit, but probably less than any in ear, ear bud. Sound quality seems fairly good and the bass boost is nice for music. Battery life seems to be good as well. Probably has something to do with me not using them much.

My problems and major annoyances start here.Turning it on and off. Sometimes I'm not sure if it's still on and go to turn it on and it's being turned off. Then I have to wait for what feels like a eternity to be able to turn it back on. Here is the real major problem, there is a DEAFENING voice when you turn it on and off or bass up or a annoying chime with the volume. Only the volume chime is controlled by the volume, not the voice.The regular volume also doesn't seem to get that loud. I have it around 70-80% most of the time, just to hear it.

Charging, this is my first any only device with USB-C. Everything else is micro usb... So I have 1 charger somewhere in a box, since I moved... Found my micro usb cables though...The plastic feels really cheap. I don't think it would be in once piece if it was dropped on a hard floor.

I think I should have spent the extra money and bought another Tao Tronics BH22. (One for desktop, other for laptop) It's not deafening when you turn it on.

I used to be really onboard with Anker when they were a small startup company, used to meet with their founders at trade shows and give them a lot of free tips and advice, some of which they used and some of which they ignored. These days I’ve been less than thrilled with a lot of stuff they’ve slapping their name on and seeing time after time when other companies are outdoing them in terms of quality and design. In fact the last thing I’ve bought from them has been several years ago and they’ve dropped me from their mailing list.

When I saw this headphone I turned up my nose. As an ex-radio person, producer and recording engineer I know headphones like the back of my hand, my knowledge of them is at the expert level. I own literally a closet shelf full of them at prices ranging into the thousands. The last thing I want or need is another pair. But I was drawn in by the apparent light weight of these and the fact that they use Bluetooth 5.0 for hopefully fewer dropouts and a less compressed sound. Some of the other claims seemed to be more marketing fluff than reality especially at the price.

LIGHT WEIGHT OR LIGHTWEIGHTS

Let’s face it; a good pair of headphones can get very heavy and tiresome to wear. At only 10 ounces (as measured by me) these promise to be more comfortable but that usually comes at the expense of being made of cheap plastic that falls apart after a few months.

REAL BASS OR A NICE EFFECT

Headphones are governed by the laws of science, the larger the transducer and the more powerful the driver the better it can reproduce ultra low frequencies. Anker touts a spinoff of what Bose and other companies have done for years, to fool the ears into thinking they are hearing certain frequencies for what I call the wow effect. And that’s what it is, for a few minutes you are blown away by the most awesome sound you’ve ever heard. Then it all starts to tire your ears and your brain and you find you are not really listening to music but rather a sound effect. I subjected these to the same standard test that I have used since the days I worked with Henry Kloss and the folks at Shure. My testing isn’t all that scientific, it’s just based on real life reproduction of sound and user listenability.

CONDITIONS OF COMPARISON

Evaluating headphones is not an easy task. There will be the inevitable reviews that go overboard gushing about how spectacular these are because they were given a sample to try. And at the opposite end those who set the bar too high by comparing them to audiophile models costing many times more. What we have here are neither, at under forty bucks they are an all plastic mass produced product that rises only slightly above the toy level. So let’s be fair and realistic, I’m going to stick to telling you what you get for forty bucks and steer far away from idealizing them or complaining that they aren’t as good as my studio reference quality cans.

PLASTIC

I have nothing against plastic and let’s face it, even Ferraris are made with a lot of plastic these days. Some of the best headphones available are made with manmade synthetic materials. Unfortunately these are made from a relatively low grade of plastic that adversely affects the sound quality. In a way its like how certain plastics affect the taste of food and beverages. To use the comparison again it’s what I would call a toylike quality. On the plus side the hinges are made of metal.

CONTROLS

For the most part Anker has done a good job designing the control panel on these phones. Everything is grouped at the bottom of the right earpiece and the buttons have a tactile touch to them plus the practice of having buttons perform multiple functions is kept to an absolute minimum. There is a power switch that also sets up the Bluetooth pairing. It also controls the use of these phones as a smartphone headset but I won’t talk about that usage, I think there are far better smartphone headsets to consider than this thing. The next button is a volume rocker that’s reasonably easy to operate and finally the bass boost button. Nearby are a USB-C charging port and a standard stereo mini audio port for wired operation. Next to those is a small LED status light.

The choice of a USB-C port is neither a major plus or a minus but its potential is minimized by the fact that they don’t include a power supply charger. They do include a short stereo audio cable and for the first time ever it prompts me to describe an item as vapid. The cable is flimsy, too short and doesn’t attach very securely. When you plug it in it disables all onboard electronics so the headphone drivers are being powered solely by your device’s amplifier, hence the maximum volume level is relatively weak. By disabling the electronics you lose one of the headphone’s major selling points, the bass boost system. You will also have to resort to only using the volume controls on your smartphone or other device.

BEST AND WORST

Most products have at least one feature to love but on the downside one you wish they had put more thought into. With this product the kudos go to printing the Left and Right designations boldly inside each earcup. So many others these days have a tiny molded in designator or even none at all. It’s so nice to be able to pick them up, even in near darkness, and know which ear is which. The negative side of the coin is the loud and somewhat grating voice that comes through the earpieces when you turn the bass boost on and off (it’s also there for a few other functions as well). The voice is so annoying that having it is almost a complete dealbreaker for me. Not counted against them but worth noting is that the instruction sheet defies any form of comprehension. Come on Anker, you’re a big company now, you can afford to have someone create a better user experience with your instruction manuals.

BASS BOOST AND OVERALL SOUND QUALITY

Here’s a reality check, these are pretty ordinary forty buck headphones. Their major marketing highlight is that bass boost button they call BassUp. I’m going to combine talking about that with my overall opinion of the sound quality of these phones because the two things are intertwined. Here are a few things you should know:

1. Unlike other attempts to wow the user with extended bass these don’t just attenuate the low frequencies but rather they work in real time at selective frequencies to kick up some of them without making everything sound deeper.

2. Yes it does make a difference, but not one that changes the timbre of everything you hear. You might actually go a few seconds or even minutes before you suddenly hear certain frequencies being boosted.

3. Like so many schemes to tweak our listening experience this one gets tiring over time and once the wow factor sizzle has settled down many people may find the effect overbearing.

4. Because of fairly large diaphragms and I assume larger drivers these headphones deliver better than average bass all by themselves without the artificial boost.

5. Unfortunately that plasticky sound I mentioned seems to be worse with the bass booster turned on.

COMFORT

Whether because of or in spite of being all plastic these are some of the most comfortable headphones I’ve worn in a while. The cups fit well and totally encapsulate both ears but there is no excessive pressure. Outside sounds are effectively blocked out and the sweet spot is positioned right over the ear canal. The headband is soft and adjustable and there’s nothing to pinch or tangle with your hair. They fold and look like they can survive travel, but unfortunately no case or travel bag is included.

BLUETOOTH COMPRESSION AND CUTOUT

Using Bluetooth 5.0 technology these are an improvement over older technologies. They don’t sound as compressed but don’t expect that they will have the expansive sound stage of a good pair of wired cans, it’s simply not possible yet if you have your heart set on Bluetooth. They are listenable but if you are really into your music you will get frustrated by the occasional cutouts. That rules out stage and studio monitoring applications.

YES OR NO

If your headphone budget limits you to under fifty bucks I can’t think of too many better choices as long as you realize that you will get what you pay for. While Anker has outgrown their early days of legendary customer service I can still recommend that, given the choice when buying low end Chinese products it’s still better to go with a known established brand with a U.S. presence. These aren’t great headphones but neither are they priced like them. I would be wary of any gushing recommendations, everybody hears things differently and it’s hard to separate honest reviews from those with special interests. The only way you will know for sure is to try them on your own ears. Keep them if they sound good to you and if not move on to something else.

[NOTE] For some unexplained reason at the time I got these Anker says that they not currently compatible with the iPhone 11 series, but they advise this model is being upgraded at some point.

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I bought these specifically for three reasons: 1. They have a USB-C charge port; 2. I trust the Anker name after using their batteries, cords, and ear buds; 3. They were inexpensive.

The sound quality is excellent, especially for $40 headphones. The EQ sounds pretty balanced and doesn't seem to color any tones. The bass is punchy even without using the "bass-up" button. With the boost on though it does rattle the windows in your head. I think it's only useful for EDM or music that is overtly bassy as it tends to muddy more musical genres.

I have not tested the battery performance yet, but I don't see a reason to doubt it. They fold up nicely for stowage though a soft-sided case would be nice.

Personally, my most important criteria was the USB-C connector. My Liberty 2 ear buds, my phone and tablet all have a Type-C connectors. I did not find anything else in this range for over-ears with USB-C and not from a random China brand of unknown quality. Even the other Anker headphones use Micro-USB so I hope they are updating them soon.

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Prior to my purchase of these headphones, I had been purchasing very cheap headphones here on Amazon that provided excellent sound quality, but they were not very durable; I had issues with them breaking on me. I set out to find a pair of headphones that were:

The Anker Soundcore Life Q10s fit these criteria, and exceeded my expectations. The connection to Bluetooth on my devices was easy. The sound quality is superb, clear and crisp. The headphones have booming bass, which is exactly how I like it. I love the fact that they have a metal headband, instead of the plastic ones my previous pairs of headphones had. The plastic headbands on my old headphones were the main reason they broke on me. But, with the metal headband on the Anker Soundcore Life Q10, I shouldn't have that problem at all, and should be enjoying these for a long time to come.

in conclusion, for the best headphones I have ever purchased so far, I turned to a brand that has provided me with the best in phone chargers, aux cords, Bluetooth speakers, and customer service: Anker! If anyone from Anker is reading this: You guys knocked it out of the park with these headphones; they were worth every penny! I recommend these to anyone looking for quality headphones!

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I'm an audiophile, so this set of cans won't do it for me in the long run. But I was looking for something cheap, easy, good enough in the short run but won't make me cry if I drop 'em . Kids, I think we have a winner in the "cheap, easy and good enough" department.

Of course it would be Anker that puts these out. Anker, like Seidio, is a quality purveyor of stuff that makes your life easier. These cans are no exception. Sure, they won't block out the world, you won't feel transported to La Scala for a private Turandot listening party, the world won't suddenly become your own personal rave. But I guarantee, when you look at your credit card statement, you'll remain a happy camper.

These headphones are bass-forward. Very bass-forward. So bass-forward that if you listen to Carpenter Brut, you won't need to turn on the bass button. Mids are meh, busy being drowned out by over-active highs. So maybe you don't listen to Nine Inch Nails for hours on end. That's cool with me. I bought these to watch movies on long plane flights.

Hoo-boy do these batteries last a while. Good stuff there. I went on a week vacation bookended by two 8 hour plane flights. These headphones never saw the business-end of a USB-C charging cable.

I'm used to better sounding headphones. I've got a very nice set of PSBs, but after four years, I've worn them quite the heck out. I've been searching of a 400 dollar + set of cans, but I'm indecisive like that and I like to have ALL the data. Takes more than just a single Wirecutter article to make up my mind. So it was nice to press "purchase" on these Anker cans without a shred of guilt.

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I was all ready to return these because the booming bass was overwhelming. It was like strapping a subwoofer over each ear. Then, silly me, I notice it had a little button to turn the bass boom off. Once pressed. It still has a good bass punch — more than you’d expect. But actually the thing sounds like a set of high-priced speakers with a solid low-end.

The high notes are really good, and overall, once I turned the thump off, I think they are really good.

I give it four stars as the bass setting f is simply too much and it could hurt your ears. It’s a great feature and if they scaled it back it would be amazing when needed.

They look great. I have the red ones and they look expensive and the fit is comfortable — and they’re not too heavy.

My other reason for four stars is that it sadly comes without a case or pouch. Cheaper phones do, and I wish these did. If they want five stars they’d have to ship me out a case.

I’ve tried them with my iPhones. iPad and TV. They’re good on all of them.

If they came with a case, I’d buy a second set for my video production work where I need to do location work. Even though they aren’t noise cancelling (in video you want non-modified audio and NC is processed audio) they block out sound well with the pads.

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I don't know what kind of magic spell they cast on these things. The sound is amazing with the bass up or down, the battery lasts forever, and they are super comfortable. My last pair of ear buds cost $180 and they don't sound half this good or last a tenth of the time; at 1/5th of the price, these are a steal. I've bought and returned half a dozen pair of headphones over the last month in my search for the right pair, and I've finally found them.

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This is my first set of over ear Bluetooth headphones and they rock. I like to listen to podcasts or music while I cook and these are perfect. They cover my ears and block out my kids hollering at each other, so I can hear my podcast without having to blow out my ear drums (note: I can see them from the kitchen, so I know if I need to take the headphones off). Listening to music is also really rich. I accidentally turned the bass up and was shocked at how deep the bass was on normal. I thought I had been listening with bass up on the whole time. I also like how you can plug these in (if your phone still has a headphone jack) and use them without charging. These definitely meet the high quality standard I've come to expect from Anker.

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These are great headphones 👌 I'm not gonna sit here and compare these to Bose or Beats because obviously it's just like apples to oranges. When I got my first product by Ancore(it was a little speaker, that delivered quite a big sound) I was shoked by the amazing quality for such a modest price. For that reason I was confident that paying $40 will get me a legit product. This is exactly what happened. When I got these, all the boxes checked: lightweight, not too bulky for a 5'4" girl, noise cancelling, feels great to the touch (this one is weird, but you know that feeling when something is made well when you touch it you just know), pairing to my phone is easy, bass is superb, it folds, and you can simultaneously pair it with two devices!Just a great product and a great quality. I totally recommend it to anyone who wants a good bang for the buck 😉

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Read below for my comparison references. For an inexpensive set of cans these have some very good qualities (and some not so good). The sound is good, not great, but for the price the other features should have these landing in your shopping cart.

Cons - The bass boost thing is truly awful. It works mostly by cutting out higher frequencies. I could not care less except the button is pretty twinky and I've hit it by accident a couple of times.

Possibly the most incomprehensible instructions I have ever seen. Come on Anker -- you can do better! I have yet to figure out how to connect to Google. I guess Alexa is not supported. But who can tell with this idiotic manual?

Annoying and loud voice prompts. Please shut up.

Pros - Very comfortable! I have a small head and most headphones do not fit me. Although they could use a slight mod for me they are okay without it, and I don't feel like they're going to fall off if I look down. I assumed they wouldn't fit or would be horribly uncomfortable and was willing to take a chance figuring I could pass them on. Nope, I'm keeping them.

Surprisingly good to connect with TV with very little lag. I have Sony WH-900 that have two different Apt-X codecs and can't be used on TV at all, and Bose Soundlink OE that work with little lag but hurt my ears after an hour. These are pretty good for late-night TV watching without disturbing others in the house. This is why I am not giving them away.

Outstanding battery life. I have yet to charge them.

Excellent BT range. This has the best range of any BT set I've ever had so far. I can go around corners with these, in a place with thick walls and lots of chimneys.

The sound is okay but since I have Bose QC35II, Bose Soundlink OE, Sony WH-900 and a set of wired Bose OE (model?) that are pretty much the best ever, these just aren't in the same league. I wouldn't use these for serious music listening but for casual stuff, including TV, these are pretty darn good. I was only willing to try them because of the price but I am pleasantly surprised.

BTW, see photo -- this LTGEM case for Over Ear Beats/Sennheiser is a perfect fit: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FVIC7TC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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I live in a close neighborhood. Not CLOSED. Just close enough the neighbor’s music/tv affects my house too. Being the good neighbor I am, instead of buying a sound system to blast them back (I am older than that), I bought these to drown out their noise while enjoying mine. I LOVE them! They are very lightweight, extra soft, and the sounds are amazing! I could actually hear more background noises during some movie scenes that I thought were conversations going on in my house. I could hear the rain outside the room the actor’s were in. I could hear different birds twittering about. I was able to walk into other rooms and not lose connection and hear everything going on during the time away from the screen. MUSIC: I listen to an eclectic mix of music, the extra bass may be too much for some of the songs, so being able to switch back and forth with a touch of a button is great. I don’t plan to use these away from home, but I understand the frustration that people are facing with not having a special carrier for these. They fold up nicely, I could see them fitting into one of those neoprene lunch box carriers if I do choose to travel with them. I dropped a star on the noise canceling rating because my son kept bothering me during the movie.